Gas pressure loaded regulator



Sept. 1, 1959 E. E. TAVENER GAS PRESSURE LOADED REGULATOR Filed Aug. 23,1954 United States Patent 2,9 2 0 GAS PRESSURE LOADED REGULATOR ErnestEdward Tavener, 'Ipttenhnrn, London, England, assignor to Keith BlackmanLimited,- London, England, a nan .o r a m ta n pp on t-l h srial .NQ-451,430 1 Claim.- .(Cl- 7- -548) In recent years there has been atendency to lengthen ovens, e,g., baking ovens, and it is customary forthe control valves for the fuel to be disposed at intervals along thelength of the oven soas to proyide zonal controL' It will be understodthat, when an oven is of gi eat length, say upwards of two hundred feet,a considerable distance must be travelled by the operator who regulatesthe valves, especially when the goods to be baked or heated are verysensitive to heat, thus calling for frequent change of heat input.

In order to overcome difficulties heretofore experienced, the presentinvention provides a gas burner installation incorporatingpressure-loaded governors, the loading of which can be varied manuallyby operation of small valves spaced at some distance from the governors.Where the fuel is compressed gas, the pressure of such gas can be usedfor loading, so that no additional source of pressure supply isnecessary, but it is to be understood that an additional source will beused if circumstances render it preferable.

A gas burner installation according to the invention includes aplurality of burners arranged in groups each fed with medium through apressure-loaded governor, and means located at a common control pointfor permitting regulation of the loading of the individual governors.

There may be combined with each governor an automatic shut-off valvewhich is preferably, but not essentially, a part of the system.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a diagrammatic illustration ofone possible arrangement, and Fig. 2 shows an application to an oven,according to the invention.

Referring to Fig. l, A denotes a pressure-loaded governor having a maindiaphragm V and a compensating diaphragm or a gland, at B. Below thediaphragm B is an automatic diaphragm-controlled shut-off valve C.

As all burner cocks on the outlet side are shut, to reopen the shut-oifvalve C after closure, pressure is admitted to the outlet side through aweep valve manually opened but preferably spring-closed. In what followsthis spring-closed weep valve is referred to as the pushbutton and isshown at D. An alternative or additional pushbutton is shown at D'.

Where compressed gas is to be fed to the burners, the gas entering theintake pipe at E passes along the pipe F to the inlet of thepressure-loaded loaded governor, and also to a pipe G in which areprovided restrictions H and I beyond which is a manual control valve K.Branching from the pipe G is a pipe W terminating in the compartment Ron the upper side of the main diaphragm V. Where thermostatic control isto be resorted to, this may be located at L beyond the position occupiedby the manual control valve or at any point appropriate for location ofthe manual control valve, which latter may be retained for use if, andwhen, necessary.

The pipe G may conveniently discharge into the low pressure gas main,but if the Waste of gas and possible Patented Sept. 1 1959 2i dangershould be ofno consequence, then it may discharge into the atmosphere.Discharge into the atmosphere is practicable if compressed air from anadditional source should be used to furnish the loading pressure.

From the pipe F a connection M leads via the pushbutton D to the burnersupply pipe N. A pressure gauge X may conveniently be fitted in theconnection M. The alternative or additional pushbutton D may be placedin a by-pass branch 0 or may constitute a component of the governor. Theburners are shown at P.

The mode of operation is as follows:

It is assumed that compressed gas is available and that all burner cocksare shut. The pushbutton D or D is opened to permit gas under pressureto pass from the pipe F direct to the burner supply pipe N, thusbuilding up pressure in the latter. When the ressure reaches a certainamount, as indicated by the pressure gauge X, corresponding to thesetting of the shut-elf valve C, this valve opens as the result ofpressure on its diaphragm. The pressure in the burner supply pipe N isthen controlled by the governor A, the position of the main valve head Qbeing determined by the pressure to which the governor is loaded in thecompartment R above the diaphragm. The compartment S below the diaphragmV is in communication with the burner supply pipe N by Way of a port T,or an external pipe such as U, which may be connected at any convenientpoint along the burner supply pipe N. As the diaphragm V is subjected onone side to the pressure prevailing in the burner supply pipe N, and onthe other side to controlled pressure, any dilference in the pressureswill result in movement of the diaphragm V, and consequently of thevalve head Q, until equalization of pressures is realized.

The variable loading is brought about by manipulation of the controlvalve K. When the said valve is closed, the full pressure in the intakepipe F is transmitted to the compartment R above the diaphragm V, therebeing no drop in pressure owing to the restriction H as there is no flowof gas and only pressure is being transmitted. When the manual controlvalve K is open, there will be a reduction of pressure in the branch Wfrom the pipe G owing to a drop in pressure resulting from the gasflowing through the restriction, this drop being variable in accordancewith the extent of opening of the manual control valve K.

The restriction I is not essential, but is introduced in order to set alow limit to the minimum pressure communicated through the pipe W to thecompartment R. It will be seen that if it were possible to lower thepressure below the point at which the burners would keep alightproperly, some would go out, and the escaping unburnt gas could be asource of danger. It will also be seen that this minimum pressure willnormally be just above the setting of the shut-off valve C. Should theminimum pressure he still further lowered from any cause, e.g., shortageof gas, or stoppage of the compressor through electricity failure, thenthe shut-off valve C will close immediately and before this valve can bereopened all outlets must be closed as previously described.

In the application of the system to an oven as illustrated in Fig. 2,the oven is to be regarded as partitioned into zones, all controls beingbrought to one panel Y where they are grouped. Thus, the only occasionwhen an operator needs to travel along the length of the oven is when heis to light the burners. For this purpose and when a shut-off valve C isused the additional pushbutton D near to the burners to be lighted maybe found advantageous. After lighting the burners, the governors of eachgroup can be adjusted to the required heat output from the respectivecontrol point Z, which may be placed at a point convenient for theoperator to view the goods issuing from the oven, from which he judgesthe amount of heat required in different zones. A gauge gives a visualindication of the heat input into each Zone.

Should electric ignition for the burners be used, then provision may bemade to promote safety; e.g., a magnetic valve may be inserted in theintake pipe F and so connected electrically that it is shut unless theignition is on.

What is claimed is:

In a gas burner installation including a pressure-loaded governor havinggas inlet and outlet ports and a pressureloading chamber and beingadapted to maintain a constant gas outlet pressure for any particularpressure load ing, and a gas supply pipe connected into the inlet portof the governor for supplying gas under pressure, the improvementcomprising means for providing a loading pressure for the governorincluding a branch gas discharge pipe connected into and leading fromthe gas supply pipe, a pressure control pipe one end of which isconnected into the branch gas discharge pipe While its other end isconnected into the pressure-loading chamber of the governor, a gasflow-restricting orifice in the branch gas discharge pipe between thegas supply pipe and the pressure control pipe, a control valveintercalated in the branch gas discharge pipe on the side of thepressure control pipe opposite that of the gas flow-restricting orifice,said gas flow-restricting orifice causing a reduction in pressure in thepressure control pipe and pressure loading chamber of the governor whenthe control valve is open to discharge gas, and a second gasflow-restricting orifice in the branch gas discharge pipe between thepressure control pipe and the control valve for setting a low limit tothe pressure in the pressure loading chamber of the governor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS424,199 Haskell Mar. 25, 1890 880,402 Reynolds Feb. 25, 1908 1,638,519Brooks Aug. 9, 1927 1,877,576 OConnor Sept. 13, 1932 1,949,030Stockmeyer Feb. 27, 1934 1,992,355 Cornelius Feb. 26, 1935 2,270,304Jacobsson Jan. 20, 1942 2,586,094 Rosenberger Feb. 19, 1952 2,694,545Steenbergh Nov. 16, 1954

